Automatic train pipe connecter



March 9, 1937. J, os so 2,072,905

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTER Original Filed Aug. 29, 1954 v INVENTOR.

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I15 16 [5 By ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTER Joseph Robinson, New

York, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Roy M. Wolvin, Montreal, Quebec,

Canada Application August 29,

1934, Serial No. 741,988

Renewed June 19, 1936 7 Claims.

In recent years the size of the pipes carrying steam for heating purposes on railway passenger cars has been'increased, but by reason of the numerous bends and right angle turns in these pipes it is still difficult to force steam from the locomotive back to the rear car of a long passenger train in adequate amounts to properly heat the last car. In consequence high pressures must now be employed at the front end of the train. These high pressures, with their accompanying high temperatures, and the movements and strains the hand manipulation of hose impose, soon destroy the conventional rubber steam hose. To meet this condition flexible metallic hose, such as illustrated in Figure 1 of my United States Patent 1,896,913, has been developed. Un-

avoidably these metal hose are heavy and stiff, and when coupled and uncoupled by hand the wear on their several joints is considerable.

For some years devices for coupling and uncoupling the steam and other hose between railway cars automatically, have been under consideration by the railroads. Many tests have been conducted, and in these it has been established that the heavy weight and stiffness of the metal hose impose a serious burden to the operation of the connecter. My invention provides means for distributing this weight on and for attaching the metal hose to the connecter in such a way as to completely minimize this burden and greatly reduce the movement of and hence the wear on the joints of metal hose. The "easing feature of my improvement by which these advantages are obtained encourages and permits the use of a special type of reinforced high pressure steam rubber hose in place of the heavy, cumbersome and expensive metallic hose. The change not only effects a large saving, but eliminates from a train many of the right angle turns and projections in the steam line which restrict the flow of steam and require the high pressures mentioned. v

Inthe drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement taken on the steam hose side of the connecter;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of my improvement as seen from the side opposite to that shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a front view detail of the supporting lug H showing the conduit ID in place thereon.

The usual coupling head A is carried by a hollow yoke B, which spans the lower portion of a bracket C that is suitably attached to the car coupler as by a lug D and bolts 3. At its rear end the yoke is provided with a flange 4 which receives and supports the forward end of a suitable buffer spring E of substantial inside diameter. A tie rod 5 extends forwardly through this spring and through a large opening in the flange 4 and pivotally embraces the bracket between the vertically narrow straps or walls 6 of the yoke. These walls terminate in vertically wide flared centering portions i which normally engage the laterally extending lugs 8 of the bracket to vertically position the yoke thereon. An adjustable abutment or nut F anchors the several parts together under the desired spring pressure. The arrangement permits universal movement of the coupling head A, and its novel feature is the wide range of vertical movement permitted to the yoke B, relative to the bracket 0, when the connecter is coupled moving the narrow walls 6 of the yoke rearwardly until they lie approximately between the lugs 8, Figure 2. In this position the yoke and coupling head float or rock easily on the for- Ward end of the spring E, effectively eliminating the jerking jarring strains that, with a more rigid joint, occur in shifting the heavy stiff metal hose G when the cars lurch vertically or in rounding a curve. This sensitivity to movement absorbs a large range of the changes in position which the bracket C undergoes in service without causing any appreciable movement of the hose G. The result is the minimum of burden on the coupled connecter heads, and the minimum of wear on the ball and socket or other joints 9 of the hose.

Further protection for the hose and the coupling head A is secured by my improved means for attaching the steam hose G to the connecter and distributing its weight thereon. This includes a relatively long conduit [9, which suitably supports or carries at its forward end a gasket H of any desired type. The rear portion of the conduit is dropped away from the underside of the yoke B to provide clearance for the lower cross members or lugs 8 of the bracket. The forward end of the conduit is suitably and removably supported on or in the connecter head, and the rear end is removably supported on a seat or lug ll, Figure 3, which is integral with the flange i. Upwardly extending projections 12 on the conduit straddle the lug I l to properly position the conduit on the lug and prevent movement thereon in service. The conduit is anchored to the lug, and hence to the yoke B, by means of a plunger or thrust pin it moving longitudinally, and slightly upwardly, through a pair of spaced brackets or bearings I5 attached to the flange 4. The pin M is locked against rotation in its bearings, and threadingly receives a wing nut It by which the pin is shifted into and out of engagement with the seat H on the conduit I0. The length of the conduit is such as will bring the connection between it and the hose G directly under, and in the plane of, the pivotal point of the yoke B and tie rod 5, when the connecter is coupled, see line l8 Figure 2. This novel feature provides the important advantage of taking off of the coupling head A the heavy strains it would otherwise be placed under when the car couplers of running cars shift in their carrier irons in a direction away from the steam hose G. During such movement the yoke 13 is drawn against the side of the bracket D at its lower end, and since the connection of the hose G to the coupled head A is approximately directly under the bracket, and not far ahead of it, as heretofore, all of the considerable pull required to move the hose, which is burdensomely very stiff under high steam pressure, is completely removed from the connecter head and the joints formed by it.

With the movement of the steam hose reduced to the minimum by the protecting easing feature which the foregoing constructions and arrangement of parts produce, it will be seen why a special type of smooth bore steam rubber hose, reinforced and constructed to withstand the steam pressures and temperatures, may if desired be used with my improvement in place of the cumbersome and costly metallic hose, the right angles and obstructions in which impose so much resistance to the flow of steam through the train line.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination, a coupling head, a bracket on which said head is pivotally supported, a train pipe hose for directing a fluid to said head, and means for connecting said hose with said head with the minimum of movement of said hose and with the minimum of service strains on both the hose and the head when said head is coupled, said means including a conduit extending rearwardly from said head with its rear end disposed, when said head is coupled, in approximately a vertical plane passing through the pivotal point of said head on said bracket, said rear end of the conduit being connected with the train pipe hose.

2. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination, a coupling head, a bracket on which said head is pivotally supported, a member connecting the head and bracket, a train pipe hose for directing a fluid to said head, and means for connecting said hose with said head with the minimum of movement of said hose and with the minimum of service strains on both the hose and the head when said head is coupled, said means including a conduit extending rearwardly from said head with its rear end disposed, when said head is coupled, below and in approximately the plane of the pivotal point of said head on said bracket, and means for securing the rear end of said conduit to said member.

3. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination, a coupling head, a bracket on which said head is pivotally supported, a member connecting the head and bracket, a train pipe hose for directing a fluid to said head, and means for supporting said head with the minimum of movement on said hose and with the minimum of service strains on both the hose and the head when said head is coupled, said means including a conduit extending rearwardly from said head with its rear end resting, when said head is coupled, below and in approximately the plane of the pivotal point of said head on said bracket, and means for securing the rear end of said conduit to said member, said securing means including a shiftable thrust pin for removably clamping said conduit in place.

4. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination, a coupling head, a bracket on which said head is pivotally supported, a train pipe hose for directing a fluid to said head, and means for supporting said head with the minimum of movement on said hose and with the minimum of service strains on both the hose and the head when said head is coupled, said means including a member extending past said bracket and carrying said coupling head at its forward end, a coiled spring supporting the rear end of said member and yieldingly permitting a free range of sensitive vertical movement of the member relative to said bracket, a conduit removably mounted in said head and on said member, and thrust means adjacent the front end of said spring for anchoring said conduit in place and for tying said hose to said member.

5. An automatic train pipe connecter .comprising in combination, a coupling head, a bracket on which said head is pivotally supported, a train pipe hose for directing a fluid to said head, and means for supporting said head with the minimum of movement on said hose and-with the minimum of service strains on both the hose and the head when said head is coupled, saidmeans including a member spanning the lower end'of. said bracket and carrying said couplinghead at its forward end, a coiled spring supporting the rear end of said member and flexing to yieldingly permit a free range of sensitive vertical movement of the member relative to said bracket, a tie rod embracing the lower end of said. bracket for anchoring said spring to the bracket and to said member, a conduit removably .mounted in said head and on said member, and thrust means for anchoring said conduit in place and for tying said hose to said member, said thrust means including a pin, a bearing in whichthe pin moves, and manually operated power means for..shifting the pin in said bearing into and out'of. engagement with said conduit. I 6. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination, a coupling,head,=,a bracket on which said head is pivotally. supported, a yoke connecting said head and bracket and spanning the latter, a conduit removably connected to said head and lyingbelow said yoke, seats on said bracket for said yoke, said seats including .a pair of transversely extending lugs one of which, lies above said yoke and the other of which lies between the yoke and said conduit, the rear portion of the conduit being dropped to clear the latter, and a threaded thrust pin carried by said yoke for rigidly but removably locking, said conduit in place. l 7. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination, a coupling head, a bracket on which said head is pivotally supported, av train pipe hose for directing a fluid to said head, and means for connecting said hose with said head with the minimum of movement of said hoseand with the minimum of service strains on both the hose and the head when said headis coupled, said means including a yoke whichspans the lower portion of said bracket, and cooperates therewith to pull said hose-laterallyin service, a conduit extending rearwardly from ,said,head with its rear end disposed, when saidhead is coupled, in approximately the plane of the yer.- tical pivotal movement of said head on said bracket, and thrust means foranchoring said :7

conduit in place.

JOSEPH, R0131nsoN,-, I 

